Taking Rides From Strangers: The Learning Curb Of Uber

By Sarah Parsons

                    

                      An Uber User Recently Discussed Her Views On Inflated Rating Systems

                                                                    What is Uber?

Uber is a San Francisco based transportation company that allows crowd-sourcing taxi service to be enabled for mobile app use in most major cities around the USA and 200 cities worldwide. Uber has become increasingly popular with the mobile app dependent generation that is looking for ways to cut the cost of certain services by using cheaper alternatives. Companies such as Lyft and Uber were created to capitalize on this growing market. In essence, users of the app can schedule a pick up from a certified Uber driver. According to Uber, many of the drivers are certified drivers and if Uber users consistently gives an Uber driver a rating below a 5 star rating, that driver is then asked to take remedial driving courses to better their skills and improve the app user's experience.

Uber in the News

Uber has recently been in the news regarding the safety of the passengers who use the app. Many have claimed have had negative experiences with the service, such as the drivers not abiding by the traffic laws, feelings of uneasiness, derogatory comments being made by the driver about the passenger, promptness and rape allegations that are now being hashed out in court. Uber hasn't quite gotten a break in the legal department with taxi drivers, either. Many taxi companies in cities where Uber is popular, are currently suing Uber for allegedly operating illegally in their city (this lawsuit was brought on by the Pennslyvania Public Transport Commission). Legal troubles persist around Uber as the National Federation of the Blind filled a pretty serious lawsuit against Uber's drivers for treating their blind passengers unethically and violating the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 by refusing blind patrons ride and one case detailing a Uber driver putting a seeing-eye dog in the trunk. Uber also was involed in the death of a six-year-old girl when an Uber driver, whom was not carrying a passenger, struck and killed the girl. Uber claimed to not be at fault for the death, but the girl's family is currently filling a wrongful death lawsuit against the company. Outside looking in, Uber doesn't seem to catch a break and is plagued with a lot of misfortunes.

 Fault In Their Stars: Inflated Rating System

 

The rating system on Uber ultimately makes or breaks the way in which driver-passenger relations are played out. I believe it is the job of the consumer to truthfully post how their experience with their driver was. To give a Uber driver a 5 star rating when the ride did not deserve a "perfect" score, does not help the business develop and filter out potential drivers. The responsibilities of whether these incidents are reported or not is on the driver and passenger. It also seems that Uber is puting too much stress on the drivers and passengers to give and recive perfect 5 star ratings. This does no good for the company because of the added presures put on the driver. I would suggest that Uber operates more on a spectrum of their ratings and let drivers recieve a 4 or 3 star rating without penalty and if the 1 or 2 star ratings are persistent with a certain driver, then action must be taken to correct this. But nothing can be adequately done until users are being truthful with their ratings and don't lazily default to 1 or 5 star ratings.

Pratical Pizza; Meals On Wheels With Pizza Hut App

By Sarah Parsons 

Pizza Hut is enabling users of their app to order on the go.

 You had me at pizza

Picture this; you are driving home from work and you get a hankering for some good ole Pizza Hut pizza, breadsticks, etc. But the only problem is, you don't know how to go about placing an order while you are going from work. Or, you have hungry children impatiently waiting at home who are hoping you don't come home again empty handed and sloppily put together frozen fish sticks and Easy-Mac again. Because, let's face it; sometimes you just don't feel like cooking or waiting in a drive-thru with other people possibly in the same predicament that you are in. Pizza Hut is here to help. The good people at Pizza Hut have come up with a solution to this problem by offering users of the app to order as they go.

How can this make things easier for me?

Texas-based company Pizza Hut Inc., San Francisco based company Visa Inc., and Ireland based consultant management firm Accenture PLC know how that feels. Basically, the app offers services like the ability for customers to order while driving, specifically beacon technology, which alerts employees when customers pull in to pick up their order. This means, the customer doesn't have to leave their vehicle when they pull up to a Pizza Hut location. Their order will be brought to them from the comfort of their car. The app also uses Visa Checkout, which is easier for the user to have their card information uploaded and ready to use when they arrive at a Pizza Hut location. A cool new facet for this Pizza Hut app is the ability for the car commerce program. This program enables users to have the inter-connectivity in their car, especially if they have a GPS navigation dashboard, that gives them the ability to download the app and use it in their car. 

How do you think users will respond to it?

I believe this is a smart move for Pizza Hut. The brand has had a torrid history with brand identity, specifically eliminating their buffet-style interior for a more polished and modern feel. Having the ability for delivery on-the-go through beacon technology with build customer loyalty with the brand. They are recognizing the inconveniences their customers face while ordering their food and are helping users navigate their order with ease. The pizza industry seems very cut-throat, especially with Domino's condensing their logo from "pizza" to the singular "Domino's". I'm interested to see how this inter connectivity with the car commerce program will fair with the app's new feature.  Let the pizza battles continue.